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Changes could be needed to stop oyster deaths

Oyster growers in South Australia are trying to find a way of dealing with South Australian Mortality Syndrome.

ABC: Brooke Neindorf

Researchers say management changes may be needed to counter a syndrome affecting the State's oysters.

South Australian Mortality Syndrome, commonly referred to as SAMS, was first identified about five years ago and has been costing millions of dollars a year through the death of young oysters.

Dr Charles Caraguel is lecturer in veterinary medicine at the University of Adelaide and has been studying the problem.

He says it's not like a normal infectious disease and climate change could be responsible.

"This problem seems to come and go according to different years and that's why we think that climate could be involved.

"Sometimes we have good years and bad years because of the climate and so it's been a big concern for the sustainability of the industry and is definitely one of the priorities now for this industry."

He says a lot of work is happening with growers to try and combat the problem.

"If we want to manage this disease we are going to have to change the way that oysters are farmed in South Australia and for that we need to collect better information on the climate, feed availability in the water, the mortalities, also the growth performance of the different stocks."